Monday, June 11, 2012 - 06:48 PM

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Perhaps the third time will be the charm for the Israel Wagner Society.

The society had originally planned to break a seven-decade unofficial boycott of works by Richard Wagner in the Jewish state with an orchestral concert at Tel Aviv University on June 18. It was called off following a wave of protests.

Wagner Society organizers then thought they had found a replacement venue for the concert this coming Saturday at the Tel Aviv Hilton. But Haaretz reports that the hotel owners changed their mind and cancelled the show on Friday.

"Everything was agreed upon with the Hilton's management," Wagner Society founder Yonathan Livny told the newspaper. A contract was signed and advertisements were placed in the local media.

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Brian Wise covers the classical music business for WQXR, including aspects of performance, technology, philanthropy and institutional trends. He produces the Café Concerts series and the podcast/show Conducting Business. He manages the station's homepage and makes sure what you hear on air is what you see online. Follow him on Twitter at @Briancwise.

Comments [2]

It's ironic that some of Wagner's best friends were Jewish. He looked down on Mendelssohn and other Jewish musicians. Can you put such a person on a pedestal? The man was human. Mozart could be very crude but his music is still sublime. Two sides of the same coin. It takes a long time to forgive. Maybe forever.

Clearly, the musicians in Israel have gotten there - long ago, but some of the 'people' haven't. Yet I wonder -- is it really a majority that are so ignorant and protesting a concert, or is it just the typical vocal minority with little knowledge that are making it difficult for everyone else?